I know a person is in Florence or Eloy. Can I visit the Florence Project’s office for help?

Unfortunately we do not have the capacity to help you if you visit our office. We provide our services on site at the detention facilities and use our office for research, writing and to return phone calls and e-mails. Please do not plan a visit to the Florence Project for help if you have not spoken to one of our attorneys first and made an appointment. If you are coming to visit someone in detention in Florence or Eloy, please review this page and read the visiting instructions for the facility before you arrive so you can be prepared and know it is safe to visit. Sadly, many family members are turned away when they go to a facility if they are not prepared.

Does the Florence Project charge money for its services?

No. The Florence Project is a nonprofit organization and does not charge fees for any of its direct services to detainees or family members. Unfortunately notario and lawyer fraud is extremely common and we urge you to be aware of this and ask whomever is helping you questions so you can be sure you are not the victim of a fraudulent scheme. If a person is telling you they are associated with the Florence Project and are asking for a fee for his or her services they are not associated with us! We never charge detainees or family members for our services.

If you are concerned you may be a victim of fraud and the perpetrator is using the Florence Project’s name please notify us immediately at firrp@firrp.org or by calling (520) 868-0191 ext. 105.

I think a person is in ICE custody. How can I find what facility he is in?

ICE recently launched an online detainee locator system to help you find a person in ICE custody. You can use the system here or visit ICE’s Web site for more information. To locate someone through the system, you will need their (1) full name, (2) alien registration number (“A#”) and (3) country of birth OR (1) full name and (2) country of birth and (3) date of birth.

You can also call the Immigration Court Information System at (800) 898-7180 if you think the person has a court date. You will need the full name and alien registration number (“A#”). The recorded line will tell you if the person has an upcoming court hearing and where the immigration court is located. Please note, the online detainee locator system sometimes has errors and the toll-free court number is only for people who have upcoming court hearings.

How do I visit someone at an ICE detention center in Florence or Eloy?

In Arizona, there are currently five different ICE facilities that hold people for immigration court proceedings in Florence and Eloy. You may be told a detainee is being held in “Florence” but it is very important to know which facility since they have different visitation rules. In Florence, a detainee may be held at:

I know a person is in ICE custody in Arizona, but I can’t find him through the 800 number and he doesn’t have a court date. Why not?

Only people who will be appearing before an immigration judge are listed in the Immigration Court Information System, (800) 898-7180. Not all people in ICE custody have this right to go before an immigration judge and some people may have waived this right by asking for voluntary return or signing a stipulated deportation order. Others are in a process called expedited removal, which does not provide the opportunity to see an immigration judge and is generally applied to people who have been present in the United States for less than two weeks and apprehended within 100 miles of the border. Others may still be in criminal custody due to an arrest and conviction and may have what’s known as an “ICE hold” on them but may not yet be transferred to an immigration detention facility.

Will the Florence Project represent my family member or friend in ICE custody?

The Florence Project does not represent detainees in the way a public defender or private attorney does. Because we see thousands of detainees every year and have a very small staff, we cannot provide representation to all detainees. Every detainee who will be going before an immigration judge will have the opportunity to hear a legal orientation presentation by a Florence Project attorney and speak to that attorney one-on-one about his or her situation. In Eloy and with our Children’s program this occurs a week before the person’s first court appearance and in Florence it occurs in the morning before the first court appearance. After this, the Florence Project may provide support in a person’s legal case but in nearly all cases the person is representing himself or herself before the immigration judge. If after the person’s consultation with a Florence Project attorney it is determined they have a legal case for relief we would recommend trying to hire a private attorney if the person has the resources to do so.